• Kenya have been placed in Pool ‘G’ of the qualifying campaign alongside seven-time champions Egypt, Togo and unheralded Comoros
• The qualifiers will present Migne the platform to right the wrongs made in the Afcon which came to a close yesterday.
Image: FILE
Harambee Stars’ coach Sebastien Migne will look to upset his former boss Claude Le Roy when he leads Kenya in seeking a ticket to the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations to be held in Cameroon.
Kenya have been placed in Pool ‘G’ of the qualifying campaign alongside seven-time champions Egypt, Togo and unheralded Comoros. It is the clash between Kenya and Togo which will serve the youthful Stars’ coach with a happenstance as he seeks to give the experienced coach with a test of his own medicine and prove that he has come of age in his coaching career.
Migne worked under Le Roy, who is christened as “White Witchdoctor” as an assistant coach for almost a decade before ending ties in a bid to execute the tact learnt independently.
Migne, who in his first major assignment as a head coach to a senior national team, guided Kenya back to the Afcon after a 15-year hiatus will be angling at replicating the run he had in previous qualifiers, where Kenya conceded a goal in four matches.
The former DR Congo U-20 national team coach credentials were severely tested in Egypt as Kenya won one and lost twice. The qualifiers will present him the platform to right the wrongs made in the Afcon which came to a close yesterday.
With the expansion of participating teams from 16 to 24, Kenya are billed as favourites to clinch the two slots of the group alongside wounded Egypt.
During the draws conducted on Thursday in Cairo, last edition’s finalists Algeria were pitted against three southern African teams, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana in Pool ‘H’ while Senegal will take on Congo Brazzaville, Guinea-Bissau and e-Swatini, formerly Swaziland in Group I.
The surprise package in the recently concluded tournament, Madagascar who defied odds to reach the quarter-finals in their maiden appearance will face former champions Ivory Coast, Niger and Ethiopia in Group K.
The 2013 champions Nigeria, who finished third in Egypt will tackle returnees Sierra Leone, Benin and Lesotho in Pool ‘L’ while Ghana and South Africa are in Group ‘C’ and both should qualify at the expense of Sudan and the winners of a preliminary round tie between Mauritius and Sao Tome e Principe.
Cameroon, who have qualified by virtue of being hosts, will take part in the qualifiers where they are set to play Group F’s Cape Verde, Mozambique and Rwanda—all of whom will be muscling for the ticket to fly to the host country.
Neighbours Uganda are placed in Group ‘B’ with Burkina Faso, Malawi and South Sudan or Seychelles while Tanzania are in Group J with Libya, Equatorial Guinea and 2004 champions Tunisia.
The four preliminary ties will be played in October and the group phase kicks off the following month with two rounds. The winners and runners-up will qualify from each group except in Group ‘F’ where Cameroon automatically qualify as hosts with the highest placed of the other three teams. Somalia and Eritrea did not confirm their participation.
Draw in full:
Preliminary round:
Liberia v Chad
South Sudan v Seychelles
Mauritius v Sao Tome e Principe
Djibouti v Gambia
Groups:
A: Mali, Guinea, Namibia, Liberia/Chad
B: Burkina Faso, Uganda, Malawi, South Sudan/Seychelles
C: Ghana, South Africa, Sudan, Mauritius/Sao Tome
D: Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Angola, Djibouti/Gambia
E: Morocco, Mauritania, Central African Republic, Burundi
F: Cameroon (hosts), Cape Verde, Mozambique, Rwanda
G: Egypt, Kenya, Togo, Comoros
H: Algeria, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana
I: Senegal, Congo Brazzaville, Guinea-Bissau, eSwatini (formerly Swaziland)
J: Tunisia, Libya, Tanzania, Equatorial Guinea
K: Ivory Coast, Niger, Madagascar, Ethiopia
L: Nigeria, Benin, Sierra Leone, Lesotho